A Lancaster County jury convicted a woman Friday of all counts in a racially-charged shooting last year in Columbia.
The jury convicted Ashley Curry of felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor counts of ethnic intimidation and simple assault.
Curry, 33, is charged with confronting a woman, shouting racial slurs and spitting on her, in a shopping center parking lot on Lancaster Avenue. Curry then shot another woman, 33, in the stomach.
Curry’s only reaction to the verdict was to slide back in her chair.
The jury deliberated for six hours over two days before deciding the case Friday just after 1 p.m.
"Obviously, the jury paid close attention throughout the trial and were very diligent in their deliberations," First Assistant District Attorney Christopher P. Larsen said following the verdict. "I'm pleased justice was done on behalf of all the victims."
Following the verdict, Larsen requested Curry’s bail be raised to $500,000 – which Judge Merrill Spahn Jr. granted. (Curry had been free on $100,000 bail.)
Curry’s defense asked that Curry be allowed to post 10 percent of the $500,000.
Judge Spahn declined, saying Curry’s “been convicted of a very serious felony and two misdemeanors.”
Curry will be sentenced after a background check is completed within two months.
Jurors listened to two-and-a-half days of testimony, beginning Tuesday morning. The victims testified, along with other witnesses and police.
Attorneys gave closing arguments Thursday morning and afternoon, before Judge Spahn instructed the jury on the law and excused them for deliberations around 3 p.m.
Columbia police Detective Matthew Leddy filed charges.
According to police, Curry confronted a woman after they both turned into a shopping center parking lot, with Curry calling her racial slurs.
Curry spit on that woman and kicked her.
When the 33-year-old woman tried to assist, Curry shot her in the stomach.
When police arrived, Curry police the victim “deserved it.”
Police recovered a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol.
MEDIA CONTACT: Brett A. Hambright, 717-295-2041; bhambright@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @BrettHambright